CONFIDENTIAL
012273 MDHIAN 3770
IN HONG KONG TO ATTACK THE MONARCHY AND BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
6. THE AMBASSADOR REPEATED HIS ASSURANCE THAT WE TOOK THE SHOOTING INCIDENT SERIOUSLY. HE REMINDED CHEN THAT 7 JUNE WAS THE ANNIVERSARY OF AN EVEN MORE SERIOUS SHOOTING INCIDENT: THE MACHINE GUNNING BY THE PLA OF A DIPLOMATIC COMPOUND IN PEKING. WE WOULD NOT SHIRK OUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO PROTECT CHINESE PERSONNEL AND PROPERTY IN HONG KONG. HE TRUSTED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD NOT SHIRK THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES. HE WAS CONCERNED BY CHEN'S COMMENTS ON FREEDOM. IN BRITAIN AND HONG KONG PEOPLE HAD FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION WITHIN THE LAW. THAT INCLUDED THE FREEDOM TO ATTACK THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, AS CHEN WOULD KNOW FROM SIR G. HOWE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG LAST YEAR. THE AMBASSADOR UNDERTOOK TO REPORT WHAT CHEN HAD SAID.
7. SPEAKING PERSONALLY, CHEN SAID HE DID NOT THINK IT WAS NECESSARY TO ARGUE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THE AIM OF THE CHINESE SIDE IN RAISING IT WITH THE BRITISH SIDE WAS TO ASK THAT HKG TOOK RAPID AND EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO PREVENT ACTIVITIES ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG ALLIANCE. HE HOPED THAT IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO AVOID THE NEED FOR SUCH EXCHANGES IN THE FUTURE.
COMMENT.
¿.
CHEN WAS TAKING ACTION SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH NCNA (T U R). IN SUBSTANCE HIS REMARKS CONTAINED NOTHING NEW ABOUT DEMONSTRATIONS IN HONG KONG. BUT THE CHOICE OF LANGUAGE, E.G. THE REFERENCES TO SINCERITY, INDIGNATION AND POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO OUR BILATERAL RELATIONS, AND THE INSISTENCE ON CALLING IN THE AMBASSADOR, ALL INDICATE THE HEIGHTENED NATURE OF CHINESE CONCERN. IN CUR VIEW THE MFA WERE NOT SIMPLY GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS ON THIS OCCASION. IT WILL BE IMPORTANT BOTH TO HOLD FIRM THE PRINCIPLE OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN HONG KONG AND TO GIVE THE CHINESE WHATEVER REASSURANCE WE CAN ON THE SHOOTING INCIDENT AND THEIR CLAIM THAT A TERRORIST THREAT EXISTS.
COATES
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